Loch Etive is a sea loch that runs inland north of Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
Divided from the sea by the tidal Falls of Lora waterfall in the village of Connel, Loch Etive boasts a resident seal colony and some of the most dramatic mountains in Scotland on either side. The loch is 20 miles (31km) long, 1 mile (1.6km) wide and up to 150m deep.
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From the Sea to the Mountains
Loch Etive joins the sea between the villages of Connel and Dunstaffnage. Historically, the mouth of the Loch was protected by Dunstaffnage Castle, which you can still visit.
As you move up the loch, you immediately come to the Falls of Lora. These dramatic tidal rapids are formed where the tide flows through a narrow gap and over a shallow reef. This is a popular spot for whitewater kayaking (when the tide is running) and diving (when the tide is slack).
The Kilmaronaig Islands are 1.5 miles (2.5km) inland from the falls. At this point, the loch widens out, with the historic parish of Ardchattan on the north shore and Achnacloich house on the south side. The Abbot’s Isle lies just offshore from Achnacloich. The remains of Archattan Priory, and the more recent Ardchattan House are on the north side of the loch, another mile or so to the east.
The water continues more or less due east until it reaches Airds Point, where it turns south into Airds Bay. The village of Taynuilt is on the south side of the bay.
From Airds Bay, we move into the upper loch. The Bonawe Narrows lie between the Cruachan Massif and Beinn Durinnis, marking the start of the hills. From this point, there are no roads until the very head of the loch, 13 miles (21km) to the northeast. The hills tower on both sides, and the final few miles are a picture-perfect U-shaped glacial valley.
Pronunciation
The name Loch Etive comes from the Gaelic language, which was the main language in the area right up until the early 1800s.
Loch can be hard for English speakers to pronounce. The CH sound at the end doesn't really exist in English. The easiest way to explain it is that it's the same as the ch in Bach. Very importantly, it's not pronounced Lok...
Etive is pronounced ET-IV, with the stress on the first syllable. The usual trap that visitors fall into is calling it Loch ET-IVY - it helps if you ignore the E at the end.
Climate
The weather on Loch Etive is extremely changeable. Like much of the west coast of Scotland, the joke is that you can experience all four seasons in a day.
In the winter, there is almost always snow on the high hills around (there's even a Ski resort nearby at Glencoe). The water will be cold, and an icy wind can blow down the Loch.
Spring is often the nicest season - the weather in April and May is generally settled, and can be as warm as 20ºC. Summer is very changeable, with more rain - but it's usually warm.
Autumn can be dramatic, with storms starting to roll in off the Atlantic. However, this is probably the best season for landscape photographers, with huge skies and red hills.
Getting to Loch Etive
The lower loch, from Taynuilt to the sea at Connel, is easily accessible by road. Taynuilt and Connel are joined by the A85 main road, which continues westwards to Oban and southeastwards to Tyndrum, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
In Tyndrum, you can park in the centre of the village and also around the narrows and Bonawe Furnace.
The north side of the loch has a minor road from Connel Bridge to the Bonawe Narrows, past Ardchattan Priory. However, there is no road on either side between the Bonawe Narrows and Glen Etive.
The Glen Etive road is famous for it’s dramatic views. It’s 12 miles long, from Kingshouse on the main A82 past Dalness, and single track all the way. There’s a small car park by the Loch at the end of the road.
You can get to the Loch by train as well - the Oban line stops at Taynuilt and Connel, and it’s a short walk down to the water from either of these.
Finally, there are a few daily bus services from Oban to Connel and Taynuilt, and Oban to Bonawe.
Activities and Attractions
Loch Etive is home to a colony of seals. The colony is mostly made up of common seals, however a large grey male has been seen in the same area since early 2020 and is nowadays often spotted alongside the common seals under Connel Bridge.
The seals used to make their home past the Bonawe narrows in a relatively inaccessible collection of skerries (rocky islets in the loch), but these days they're much more easily seen as they have taken to hauling out on the tidal island directly underneath Connel Bridge. This means pedestrians and road users can watch the colony easily as they pass by.
When the tide has come in completely and covered the island, the seals head either out to sea or inland to look for food, and they often pop up near to the Kilmaronaig islands next to the A85 between Connel and Taynuilt.
When we first moved to the area, there were around 20 seals in the colony. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, and in recent years we have personally counted up to 49 seals on the island at any one time. If you're heading out on a walk near the bridge, be sure to take your binoculars with you!
Birdwatching
The numerous islands in the lower loch are always an interesting trip in the breeding season. The best spots are the Kilmaronaig Islands (just east of Connel) and the Abbot’s Isle by Achnacloich. Both can be reached from laybys by the road, and it’s just a short walk to the Abbot’s Isle.
White-tailed eagles are seen year-round (os I write this in 2023, there are a pair nesting near Ardmucknish Bay, and the Kilmaronaig Islands are their favourite hunting ground). Golden Eagles are also pretty commonly seen in the upper Loch and Glen Etive.
Loch Etive, along with Loch Creran to the north, is a nationally important breeding site for Grey Herons. You’re pretty much guaranteed a sighting along the shoreline between Connel and Taynuilt. The heronry on the Isle of Eriska on Loch Creran is a must-visit!
Falls of Lora
The tidal Falls of Lora are found at the mouth of Loch Etive in Connel, just north of Oban in Argyll.
Due to the narrowing of the loch and the rock formations under Connel Bridge, the Falls are active on both the ingoing and outgoing tides.
At slack water and on weak to moderate tides, there's not a great deal to be seen, but as the tidal variations approach springs, things really get going. At maximum springs, the tidal variation reaches over 4 metres, which is when the fun really starts. At such times, the Falls turn to a roaring torrent of white water with a number of standing waves and interesting features which draw kayakers from all over Scotland and indeed the world.
At the peak, flows of an incredible 10-12kts have been recorded through the Falls of Lora.
Hillwalking
There are some great walks around Loch Etive: from the head of the loch, you can head down either shore into complete wilderness. The walk along the south shore is particularly spectacular, either to Taynuilt or turning down Glen Kinglass towards Bridge of Orchy.
Surrounding the Loch are just about all the Munros you could wish for: starting with Ben Cruachan and Stob Daimh in the south, then Beinn a'Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich. A bit further north Ben Starav and Beinn nan Aighenan are at the start of a range which heads up to Creise by the Glencoe Ski Center. The southern Glencoe Munros, as well as the Buachaille, surround Glen Etive. Finally, Beinn Sgulaird and Beinn Fhionnlaidh guard the western side of the Loch.
Wild Swimming
Loch Etive is stunningly beautiful and is mostly sheltered, even in quite bad weather. However, there are some hazards to be aware of:
- The Falls of Lora are definitely not a safe place to swim. It’s been done, by professionals with safety teams in boats, at neap tides - but it’s not something to do casually.
- The Bonawe Narrows can flow at up to 5 knots. There aren’t any rapids here, but there’s no way you could swim against it.
- Many of the headlands have tidal currents and can get quite rough when the wind blows.
You can swim in Loch Etive - just be careful where you go: We’d recommend swimming the head of the loch, around Cadderlie and Dail, and on the southwest side of Airds Bay.
Boating
It’s a beautiful Loch, and what better way to explore it than on the water? If you’re not bringing your own boat, we’d recommend a tour from Dunstaffnage with Etive Boat Trips - they also arrange fishing trips.
The falls are a big destination for kayakers - normally playboaters on the ebb tide and sea kayakers surfing on the flood. Sea kayaking up to the head of the loch is also a great trip - either in one day from Taynuilt or a two-day trip from Connel. The River Etive is one of Scotland’s top white water destinations - There’s a great mix of class II to class V rapids. Finally, the River Awe is one of the most reliable class II/III rivers in Scotland - the levels are controlled by a dam, and it’s almost always paddleable.
Fishing
Loch Etive is well-known as a fishing spot. It’s famous for its spurdog, but you can also catch pollock, skate and a whole range of other fish. On the shore, the best spots seem to be around Bonawe and into the upper Loch. If you’ve got your own boat, try around Archattan and Airds Point in the lower Loch. You can easily launch from the pier in Taynuilt - alternatively, give Etive Boat Trips a call (details above).
History
Prehistoric remains lie all over this area - Kilmartin Glen, Europe’s largest collection of prehistoric monuments, is just 30 miles (50km) to the south.
In the village of Benderloch, just north of Connel at the mouth of the Loch, there’s a vitrified fort called Dun Mac Sniachan. This rare type of ruin was originally built out of stone, but at some point, it experienced such a hot fire that its walls turned to glass. The site contains three successive defensive structures - the dating of the earliest remains is uncertain, but the Roman metalwork was found in the second fort, suggesting it was occupied at some time in the early first millennium AD.
Dunstaffnage Castle, at the mouth of the Loch, was built some time before 1240 by Duncan MacDougall, the grandson of Somerled, the original “King of the Isles”. The castle’s most well-known inhabitant was probably Flora Macdonald - famous from the “Skye Boat Song” - she was imprisoned here in 1746 following the Jacobite rebellion.
Flora was visiting her brother in South Uist when she met Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was running away from the English after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. She agreed to help him escape, and dressed him up as her maid, “Betty Burke”. They crossed the sea to Skye together, and the prince got away on a boat to France. However, Flora was arrested and taken to Dunstaffnage before being moved to the Tower of London.
Ardchattan Priory was founded as an abbey in 1230. This was run by the Vallisculian order, which followed a strict religious life. The priory was closed in 1560 during the Reformation, but it was turned into a private house in the early 1600s. The gardens and ruins are open to visitors every Wednesday.
Battle of the Pass of Brander
The early 1300s were a turbulent time in Scottish history. After years of conflict, King Robert the Bruce was crowned in early 1306, but the English King Edward immediately marched north in an attempt to take the Scottish crown for himself. This war would continue for 8 years, eventually leading to the Battle of Bannockburn, and a Scottish victory, in 1314.
In the weeks before his coronation, Robert killed his greatest rival John Comyn (also known as Red Comyn for his bloodthirsty escapades), by stabbing him in a fight. At the time, Argyll was controlled by one of Comyn’s relatives and allies, Alexander MacDougall (the Lord of Lorne). In the summer of 1307 or 1308 - nobody is quite sure - Robert attacked Argyll.
The Pass of Brander is a narrow valley where the River Awe leaves Loch Awe and heads down towards Loch Etive. The Lord of Lorne’s forces had set up an ambush here to trap the King’s forces as they headed towards Dunstaffnage Castle. However, a company of the King’s archers led by Black Douglas had climbed the slopes of Ben Cruachan and surprised the ambushers from behind. The defenders were routed, and the Lord of Lorne surrendered in his castle.
Even though 700 years have passed, it’s easy to imagine the drama of that day as you drive along the main road from Glasgow towards Taynuilt. On a rainy day, the narrow valley, with the water on one side and the sheer mountainside on the other, feels completely hemmed in.
Following the battle, Robert summoned a Council of Chiefs at Ardchattan Priory on the north shore of the Loch. This was probably the last Gaelic-speaking parliament in Scotland.
Industrial Heritage
Bonawe Ironworks is the most complete remains of a charcoal-fired furnace in Britain. It might seem counterintuitive to have an ironworks hundreds of miles from the iron mines, but in 1735, when it was founded, this area was densely forested, and it was cheaper to shop the iron ore by boat than it was to move the wood for the furnace.
Iron was imported from Cumbria in the north of England, limestone came form Northern Ireland, and charcoal was produced locally. At its peak, the furnaces here produced 700 tonnes of iron a year. Bonawe was the last Scottish ironworks to use charcoal as a fuel, closing in 1870.
The railway reached the area in 1880. The original line was built from Stirling by the Callander and Oban Railway, but these days the route runs north from Glasgow along Loch Lomond, before turning west at Tyndrum.
Formerly a railway bridge which carried trains between Connel and Ballachulish, the steel cantilever bridge at Connel was built in 1903 and converted to take road traffic from 1914 onwards.
The railway closed in 1966 but road traffic continues to use Connel bridge as the main route connecting the south side of Loch Etive with the north, and Oban with the town of Fort William.
Before the bridge, there was a foot passenger ferry across the loch, and before road traffic was allowed to cross in 1914, a rail bus was available for pedestrians wanting to cross the bridge.
The structure is still impressive by today's standards and requires a great deal of specialist maintenance to keep it functioning properly. The bridge has beautiful views out to the west across the Firth of Lorn, with the Isle of Mull visible in the distance on a clear day. To the east, the view stretches up Loch Etive into the mountains and the Munro peaks of Ben Cruachan and Stob Diamh can be seen, often with snow on the tops.
Just north of the bridge lies Connel Airfield. This was built in WW2 to support the huge naval in Oban and the Firth of Lorn. Hebridean Air runs flights out to the Isles of Coll, Colonsay and Tiree - and also offers scenic flights and charters.
Films
The dramatic final scene in Skyfall was filmed on the shores of Loch Etive. In the film, Bond and M travel up from London in his iconic Aston Martin, and there's an incredible shot of the two of them standing by the car, looking down the valley. Skyfall House, their destination, is supposed to be at the end of the Glen, although it was filmed in Surrey, down in the south of England.
If you visit here, please be aware of your impact. Damage and erosion are being caused to the grass verges by people parking at the side of the road, so be sensible when stopping.
Loch Etive was featured twice in the Harry Potter film series. First, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the trio set up camp at the northern end of the Loch. After Ron argues with Harry and leaves, Hermione ties a scarf around a tree near the lake to let Ron know they left. There's a car park at the end of the road here, and it's a beautiful spot to visit. Later, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the three of them end up back on Loch Etive after jumping off the back of a dragon!
Nearby, Buchaille Etive Mor, a large hill at the top of Glen Etive, featured briefly in the opening scenes of Braveheart - and Cruachan Dam (just south of the Loch near Taynuilt) was one of the main locations for the first series of Andor.